Self-locking seal



June 26, 1934. G. J. WENK SELF LOCKING SEAL Original Filed Aug. 31, 1932 ATTORN EY Patented .lune 26, 1934i UNITED STATES FEJEENT FFICE Application August 31, 1932, Serial No. 631,151 Renewed September 5, 1933 9 Claims.

My invention refers to certain new and useful improvements in self locking seals, the object of which is to prevent any tampering with the seals after they are locked without breaking the 5 same, and the same is adapted for manifold uses, such as packages, boxes, car doors and the like. The invention comprises essentially numerous novel and ingenious details in the shackle and the casing; and also it involves a novel locking mechanism for a band or strap seal which is especially adapted for use as a car seal; and the invention moreover embraces numerous details in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as will be hereinafter' described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating my invention: i

Figure 1 is an outside or front elevation of my improved self locking seal, with the shackle hav-- ing both ends introduced full length into the shell and locked therein, the raised or pocket features of the shell being in section to indicate more clearly the inner construction.

Figure 2 is an outside or front elevation of my improved self locking seal, with the shackle fully locked therein similar to Figure l, with all parts complete for use and without showing any part in section.

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical section on the line 3, 3, of Figure 1.

Figure l is an outside elevation of the shackle and a sectional view of the shell after the longer arm of the shackle has been partially inserted into the shell and indicates the manner of the insertion in producing a swiveling effect on the long arm before the short arm enters the pocket.

Figure 5 is a top plan edge view of the shell, with the arms of the shackle in sectional view.

Figure 6 is an edge view of a band or strap seal especially intended for use as a car seal, with the shackle engaging and locking both ends of the same together.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the shackle for the band seal.

Figure 8 is a detail plan view of the band or strap separate from the locking shackle, said band lying fiat and straight before it is bent.

Figure 9 is a longitudinal section of the same, on the line 9, 9, of Figure 8.

Figure .10 is a cross section on the line l0, l0, of Figure 8.

Figure 11 is a cross section on the line 11, 11, of Figure 8.

Similar characters of reference designa-te c017- responding parts in all the different figures of the drawing.

The main frame of the seal is fashioned in the form of a sheet metal shell, casing or body. It is Y made in any suitable manner and of as inany parts as desired; but it is usually in the particular form which is shown by way of example, as con- Sistine of a single blank of metal that is bent back or folded upon itself at l to provide the flat side n 2 which may have raised parts for pockets or `65 grooves, and also the opposite flat side 3 which is close against side 2 and also has raised parts for pockets or grooves; although it will be understood that the formation of the raised parts for pockn ets or grooves may be widely varied and one or A'70 the other of the sides may be entirely flat and the pockets also may vary greatly in shape size; the edge 2a of theV section 2 being bent or lapped over the edge of section 3 to form a L, bead or rib which runs around the entire edge of '7 5 the shell, except where the fold l occurs along the top edge of the shell, which fold is slotted before or after the folding of the blank to provide openings at 4 and 5 for the insertion of the tivo shackle arrns into the pockets. '80

Thus the sides 2 and 3 are opposite to each other and are not spaced away from each other, except where the said sides are stamped out, struck up or raised before the bending of the blank to provide a thin and substantially oblong pocket 6 between the sides or sections 2 and 3, said pocket 6 in the present example being struck out in the side 3 while the part of side 2 opposite pocket 5 is dat and smooth. See Figure 5. This pocket 6 is adapted to receive the shorter arm i of the shackle and extends, say, from the folded edge l for a distance perhaps of half the way to the other end of the shell, this pocket 6 having an open entrance 5 through a slot in the folded edge 1. This pocket 6 is also provided with a struck up interior triangular lug 7 struck up from the outside so as to leave a recess on the outside and a projection on the inside of the pocket, the thickness of the pocket, the apex v 8 of the triangle being at the to-p or the point l10o nearest the opening 5 while the base of the triangle is formed with an indent at 9. This projection or lug '7 cooperates in locking with the arm of the shackle which is introduced into the pocket 5, the same being the shorter arm.

The shell section 3 is further provided with another raised part stamped therein or struck out therefrom, of an elongated form, to furnish at one end a round or tubular pocket at 13 which is enlarged at its inner end at 14 to form another llfl cavity having shoulders 15. Opposite to the semicircular part 13 of this tubular pocket, the side 2 of the blank is provided with a similar or corresponding struckout semicircular pocket 13e, which, together with the pocket 13, forms a tubular pocket, both being essentially semicircular, and the lower end of this tubular pocket, at 13b, merges or slopes into the pocket 14 so as to provide a swelled sloping cavity at the sides of which, in the cavity 14, are the aforesaid shoulders l5, said cavity 13b being round, while the shoulders l5 are angular, although this precise shape for the lower end of the tubular socket and the shoulders may be considerably varied in practice without departing from a correct construction. The outer end of this tubular pocket consists of an opening 4 in the folded edge 1 which serves as an opening to admit the other and longer arm of the shackle, but this opening 4, while it is centrally round, has slots 4a which lie in a line crosswise of the shell or at right angles to the sides 2 and 3, see Figure 5, so that the longer shackle arm will be introduced at a right angle to the plane of the shell and then swiveled around inside the tubular socket. Preferably, the rim of the opening 4, that is to say, the outer ends of the tubular members 13 and 13a are made with a burr or are bent over to form a flange 10 at the outer end of the tubular socket, which flange 10 encircles the opening 4 and in which the slots 4a are cut. Obviously, the pocket for the longer arm or the outer portion of said pocket, between shoulder 15 and inlet opening 4, may be tubular or it may be semicircular and stamped out of only one side of the shell or it may be any other shape, but, in order to afford a complete and satisfactory swiveling effect, I prefer to make it tubular and stamped out of both sides 2 and 3. Further, the pocket section 14 is struck up interiorly with a triangular lug 11, the same being formed by action from the outside upon the pocket, which leaves a recess on the outside and a triangular projection on the inside, which has its apex 12 at the upper end, and has its base formed with an angular indent 16. Thus, the inner construction of the pockets for the longer and shorter arms is the same in both cases, each being provided with a triangular struck up lug having inclined sides and an apex at the top and these lugs being engaged in a similar manner by the locking ends of the shackle arms.

The shackle consists of a looped outer end 20 and a pair of parallel arms 21 and 22, the arm 21 being longer than the arm 22. The inner ends of these arms 21 and 22 are split or cleft to form pairs of parallel spring fingers 23 having the ends or tips thereof projecting inwardly toward each other and being hooked or provided with teeth, prongs, or catch projections 24, 24, said teeth being preferably inclined upwardly so that they may more easily engage in the indent 9 or 16, as the case may be, in the lugs 7 and 11, said teeth 24 being preferably pointed.

The arm 21 of the shackle is reduced in size for a portion of its length between the ring 20 and the fingers 23 at 17, 17, to form shoulders at 18 which are adapted to rest on the tubular socket flange 10 when the shackle is fully introduced into the shell, as shown in Figure 1, and this arm is also formed with shoulders 19, 19, at the opposite end of the reduced section, which are adapted to rest underneath the said socket iiange 10 when the shackle arm 21 has been introduced through the slot la and then rotated to prevent Withdrawal.

It will be noted by referring to Figure 4 that, when the arm 2l is first introduced into the socket 13, it passes through the slot 4a, which is at right angles to the shell, and, as soon as the shoulders 19 pass below the top flange 10, the shackle may be rotated and is then permanently connected to the shell. This is before the short arm has been introduced into pocket 6. Thus the shackle and shell can be connected together and prepared in this manner to be sold commercially in a single unit, instead of having these parts sold separately. Then the long arm swivels in the tubular pocket because the cut out parts or long notches 17 allow this to be done and the shackle can easily be engaged then with a staple or any other object. Shoulders 19 pass through slots 4a with a tight t, slightly compressing the edge of ange 10, so that they cannot be drawn back through slots 4a.

After the shackle is so engaged, both the arms can be pushed home the full length into their respective pockets in the shell, as shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3. The result is that, when arm 22 enters through slot 5 into pocket 6 and is pushed down into the same, there being very little clear ance between the arm and the pocket, the spring'lO() iingers 23 will ride down the inclined sides of the lug 7, after passing the tip 8, and the spring fingers will be expanded by the triangular lug until the bottom of the same is reached and then the pointed prongs or teeth 24 will catch under 105 the triangular lug 7 and engage the indent 9, so that a Iirm connection is established and the short arm cannot be withdrawn again without causing the lingers to so pull upon the lug 7 that the teeth 24 will demolish the lug. While the :110 short arm 22 is thus seating itself, the long arm 21 having been turned to a position in the same plane as that of the shell and at right angles to the direction of the slot 4a, said arm 21 can be pushed in its fulllength, as shown in Figure 3,115 and in so doing, it will be in a plane with the shoulders 15, instead of opposite to the conical bottom 13b, so that the lingers 23 of the long arm will have a chance to pass into the wider pccket 14, where they can expand and separate as soon i as the inwardly directed teeth 24 come in contact with the sloping sides of the triangular lug 3, by passing the tip l2 of the lug, and this expansion of the teeth 24 continues until the teeth snap over the bottom of the lug 11. Both arms will then be effectively and irremovably locked to their respective triangular lugs, from which they cannot be detached without some very severe strain pulls upon the shackle and causes the spring lingers to destroy the lugs and break through the 13() shackle, so that evidence of tampering is thereby furnished. The loop portion of the shackle may be weakened by cut out points at 30 to make it easier to break oli the shackle. My invention is readily adapted for use with a band or strap seal A that is ordinarily employed on car doors, and I have delineated a band or strap in Figures 6 to 1l inclusive, to show how this is done. 25 designates a strap or band of greater or less length and each end of this is provided with a casing or shell 3l 140 which may be constructed in any desired manner.

In each shell 31 there is a triangular lug 32 Similar to the lugs 7 and 11 and having the same function.

26 denotes the shackle, which is commonly bent 145 in an angular form, as shown in Figure 7, and is provided at each end with a pair of toothed spring fingers 27 similar to the spring fingers 23 on the ends of the arms 21 and 22 of the shackle 20. The said spring lingers are introduced into the ends 15G 33 of the shells or casings 31, as shown in Figure 6, and the spring ngers are caused to engage the said triangular lugs 32 in the same manner that the triangular lugs are engaged in the other form of the invention delineated in Figures l and 2. Obviously, the shackle 26 may be longer and shorter and the length of the band 25 may vary within wide limits. It is obviously a valuable feature to permit the spring lingers on the shackle of this form of the invention to lock on the inside of the shells, thus making it impossible to tamper with or disengage the shackle, since any instrument inserted near the end of the shell would merely cause the spring fingers to lock them more tightly as they engage the indents in the bottom of the triangular lugs in the ease of the strap seal in the same way that they do in the other forms of the invention. It will be especially noted that this strap seal may be used in many diiferent places without altering the length of the strap but by varying the length of the shackle, so that, in this manner, the entire length of the sealing device may be properly adjusted, but keeping the same length of band with its locking ends in all Vthe various cases. In many band seals now in use, there is a locking device only on one end of ythe band, and, in order to lock the same, the other end of the band is snapped into the end provided with the locking shell, but, in my present improvement, in which I have similar locking features on both ends of the strap, it is necessary `to have an eXtra part or shackle made of steel to enter the locking chambers on both ends of the strap before the steel locking eect can be successfully realized. In other words, two articles, a band having casings at each end and a separate shackle having locking devices on each end are employed. In the case of the band seal, or the other forms of shackle herein described, it will be understood that the shackle cannot be removed without breaking the locking means, and

Ithe breaking will be clearly observed, for when the shackle has been once broken out, it cannot be again replaced and locked, because the locking devices have been destroyed in the tampering.

If desired, one or more hollow rivets, as Y36 and 37, may be used in holes made in the opposite sides 2 and 3 to more rmly connect the sides together and make the casing more rigid. These eyelets can be riveted on one or both sides and in some cases where it is desired one or both of these hollow eyelets may be secured with a lead piece, as 35, which is properly headed by means of a press and to which lead 35 any number or letter or otherwise inscription may be applied. Similarly in the case of the strap seal rivets like the one shown at 34 may be employed, and, Whenever desired, lead devices may be used therewith.

What I claim, is:

1. In a self locking seal, a shell provided with a pocket having an interior integral lug, a shackle having an arm entering said pocket and formed with spring ngers having at their ends rigid integral teeth inwardly projecting toward each other that engage the lug to hold the shackle in the shell.

2. In a self locking seal, a shell provided with pockets, a longer and a shorter, each having an interior lug struck in so as to be the thickness of the pocket, a shackle having arms entering said pockets and formed with spring fingers having inwardly projecting teeth that engage the wider ends of the lugs.

3. In a self locking seal, a shell provided with pockets, a longer and a shorter, each having an interior integral lug struck out of one side of the pocket, said lugs being triangular and hav-Y ing a pointed top and an indented base, a shackle having a shorter and a longer arm entering said pockets and formed with spring ngers having inwardly projecting teeth that engage the indented lower edge of the lugs.

4. In a self locking seal, a shell provided with pockets, a longer and a shorter, each having an interior integral lug formed with inclined sides and an indented base, a shackle having arms entering said pockets and formed with spring iingers having inwardly projecting inclined 'pointed teeth that engage the lugs to hold the shackle in the shell.

5. In a self locking seal, aY shell having pockets, a longer and a shorter, both formed with interior integral lugs, a shackle having a shorter and a longer arm adapted to enter said pockets and each arm formed with spring ngers having inwardly projecting teeth that engage the respective lugs to hold the shackle in the shell.

6. In a self locking seal, a shell having pockets, a shorter and a longer, the shorter being a thin recess and the longer having a tubular portion and also a thin recess, the thinner portions of the sockets being each provided with interior integral triangular lugs, a shackle having parallel arms, a short one and a longer one, each arm being cleft to furnish spring fingers having inwardly projecting prongs that engage the triangular lugs, and the longer arm having shoulders to enable it to swivel in the tubular socket before engagement is made with the triangular lugs.

'7. In a self locking seal, a shell having pockets, a shorter and a longer, the longer having an outer tubular portion formed with a flanged outer end, which flange is slotted at an angle to the plane of the shell, said pockets having each an interior integral triangular lug, a shackle having parallel arms, a shorter and a longer, both provided with spring ngers having teeth to engage the lugs, and all arranged so that the longer arm may swivel in the tubular pocket before engagement is made with the respective lugs.

8. In a self locking seal, a shell having a short pocket and a long pocket, both pockets having interior integral inclined lugs and the longer pocket having a tubular outer portion provided with a anged mouth cut with a cross slot, a shackle having parallel arms provided with toothed spring fingers, one arm being longer and the other shorter, and the longer arm being adapted to swivel in the tubular socket, and having shoulders thereon at the opposite ends of its out out edges to regulate the swiveling, both arms being adapted to engage with a locking effect with the lugs when the arms are forced full length into the shell.

9. In a self locking seal, a shell provided with pockets, a longer and a shorter, each having an interior integral lug, a shackle having a shorter and a longer arm entering said pockets and provided with spring lingers having inwardly projecting pointed teeth that engage the lugs, the longer arm being adapted to swivel in a tubular part of its pocket.

GEORGE J. WENK. 

